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Building our future Cameron Road, Te Papa

Hangaia tā tātou anamata. Cameron rori Te Papa

Building our future. Cameron Road, Te Papa

Upgrading Cameron Road and the waters network beneath it has an important role to play in providing more homes for people in our city.

Tell us what you think

We want you to tell us what you like about the revised preferred design, how we can potentially improve the design, or elements that may have been overlooked. Your feedback will help us develop the detailed design.  
Community engagement is open from Monday, 20 April to Friday, 15 May 2026.

Drop in to see us with your feedback/questions: 

Contact us directly with your feedback/questions:

cameronroadupgrade@tauranga.govt.nz
07 577 7000

 

We’re working on a plan to make vital infrastructure improvements along Cameron Road between 17th Avenue near Tauranga Hospital and Maleme Street near the Tauranga Racecourse to prepare our city for increasing population growth on the Te Papa peninsula and the western area of the city. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) will build a new interchange at nearby Barkes Corner as part of the Tauriko West Road of National Significance (RoNS) project to provide safe and efficient access across SH29A.

The emerging preferred concept design

The ’emerging preferred’ concept design includes four-laning Cameron Road, from 17th Avenue near Tauranga Hospital to Maleme Street by the Tauranga Racecourse, as well as separated on-road cycle lanes and shared paths for walking and cycling where there is limited space.

The outside lanes are proposed to operate as High Occupancy Vehicle lanes (T2/3) in peak periods with on-street parking still available in the off peak. In the long-term, these lanes could be converted to full-time HOV lanes.

In some areas parking will be reduced or available at specific times only to fit all the ways that people travel along Cameron Road into the available space. There are 342 on-street parks in the area, of which up to 66 could be removed permanently.

There are multiple options proposed for Greerton Village that would see either two lanes or four lanes of traffic, and traffic signals or roundabouts at the Chadwick Road and Cornwall Street intersections.

There will also be renewals of the wastewater and stormwater network and water supply upgrades to allow for future residential expansion and increase resilience of supply.

Cameron Road map

Tauranga South – 17th Avenue to Twentysecond Avenue

Key features in the preferred design for Tauranga South - 17th Avenue to Twentysecond Avenue include:

  • Providing four traffic lanes, two in each direction, and full turning lanes at signalised intersections. Centre medians will be removed to allow the change from two lanes to four lanes, meaning turning movements will be in-lane in some instances.
  • Outside lanes are proposed to be High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes catering for two passengers (T2) or three passengers (T3) or more, including buses and carpooling vehicles, motorcycles, scooters and people cycling. If these HOV lanes were initially to be used in peak time only, they would be used for parking outside of peak hours. There are 105 parking spaces in this area, of which none are proposed to be removed. In future, these lanes could become full-time HOV lanes.
  • Separated one-way on-road cycleways in both directions with a shared path for walking and cycling on the western side of Cameron Road south of Garden Place to Eighteenth Avenue due to restricted space.
  • Raised passenger landing platforms to make it safer to get on and off buses where bus stops and cycleways overlap.
  • Potential left-in left-out only access to Cameron Road from Garden Place, Nineteenth Avenue, Twentieth Avenue on the eastern side, and Twentyfirst Avenue on the western side.
  • Existing signalised pedestrian crossing south of Twentyfirst Avenue will stay to provide safe access to Gate Pā School.
  • Waters upgrades include new watermains either side of Cameron Road, bulk watermain in the centre of Cameron Road, and side road watermain upgrades.

Tauranga South – 17th Avenue to Twentysecond Avenue (639kb pdf)

Pukehinahina/Gate Pā – Twentysecond Avenue to Church Street

Key features in the preferred design for Pukehinahina/Gate Pā – Twentysecond Avenue to Church Street include:

  • Providing four traffic lanes, two in each direction, with full turning lanes at signalised intersections. Centre medians will be retained past Gate Pa shopping centre but will be removed at the corner by Church Street due to space constraints.
  • Outside lanes are proposed to be High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes catering for two passengers (T2) or three passengers (T3) or more, including buses and carpooling vehicles, motorcycles, scooters and people cycling. If these HOV lanes were initially to be used in peak time only, they would be used for parking outside of peak hours. There are currently 50 parking spaces in this area, of which 13 could be removed if the changes go ahead. In future, these lanes could become full-time HOV lanes.
  • Cameron Road and Munro Street signalised intersection to be upgraded to allow space for new traffic lanes and separated cycleways.
  • Kauri Street proposed to be converted into a cul-de-sac to reduce the number of side road intersections with Cameron Road. This will improve safety and minimise conflicts between drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Alternative access can be gained via Rimu Street and Twentythird Avenue. Converting Kauri Street into a cul-de-sac will discourage people from using the residential street as a short-cut. These changes will support quieter, more liveable neighbourhoods.
  • Separated one-way on-road cycleway in each direction from Twentysecond Avenue intersection to Pukehinahina/Gate Pā.
  • Potential left-in left-out only access to Cameron Road from St George Street.
  • A shared path for walking and cycling on the eastern side of Cameron Road starting at Mitre 10 and continuing south of Church Street.
  • Raised passenger landing platforms to make it safer to get on and off buses where bus stops and cycleways overlap.
  • Cameron Road and Church Street intersection to be signalised to allow for better access and safer crossing.
  • Waters upgrades include new watermains either side of Cameron Road, bulk watermain in the centre of Cameron Road, and side road watermain upgrades.

Pukehinahina/Gate Pā – Twentysecond Avenue to Church Street (539kb pdf)

Gate Pā South – Church Street to Cornwall Street

Key features in the preferred design for Gate Pā South – Church Street to Cornwall Street include:

  • Providing four traffic lanes, two in each direction, with full turning lanes at signalised intersections. Centre medians will be removed to allow the change from two lanes to four lanes, meaning turning movements will be in-lane.
  • Outside lanes are proposed to be High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes catering for two passengers (T2) or three passengers (T3) or more, including buses and carpooling vehicles, motorcycles, scooters and people cycling. If these HOV lanes were initially to be used in peak time only, they would be used for parking outside of peak hours. There are currently 128 parking spaces in this area, of which six could be removed if the changes go ahead. In future, these lanes could become full-time HOV lanes.
  • Separated one-way on-road cycleway on the western side, with a shared path for walking and cycling on the eastern side between Church Street and Kent Street due to restricted space.
  • The on-road cycleway resumes in both directions after Kent Street to Cornwall Street. Cycle facility options through Greerton Village will depend on the preferred option selected.
  • Raised passenger landing platforms to make it safer to get on and off buses where bus stops and cycleways overlap.
  • Potential left-in left-out only access to Cameron Road from Sheppard Street and Kent Street.
  • New signalised pedestrian crossing between Sheppard Street and Kent Street.
  • Waters upgrades include new watermains either side of Cameron Road, bulk watermain in the centre of Cameron Road, and side road watermain upgrades.

Gate Pā South – Church Street to Cornwall Street (492kb pdf)

Greerton – Cornwall Street to Chadwick Road

Due to the roading complexities and space limitations in this area we are still to develop a preferred design.  We have four designs we would like the community to consider and give feedback on.

Option 1: Four lanes / remove the roundabouts

  • Four traffic lanes – two in each direction – with signalised intersections at Cornwall Street and Chadwick Road replacing the existing roundabouts. This would mean the trees at both roundabouts would be removed.
  • The existing signalised crossing would be relocated to the Chadwick Road intersection.
  • A shared path for cycling and walking on the western side from Cornwall Street to the bus stop outside Greerton Community Hall.
  • The existing bus stops will be retained within Greerton Village.
  • There are currently 11 parking spaces in this area. None would be removed in this option if it went ahead.
  • Cycle facilities are not confirmed for this option yet.

Greerton – Cornwall Street to Chadwick Road option 1 (594kb pdf)

Option 2: Two lanes / retain roundabouts

  • Two traffic lanes – one in each direction - retaining the existing roundabouts at Cornwall Street (teardrop style) and Chadwick Road intersections and the existing signalised crossing.
  • Separated one-way on-road cycleways in both directions.
  • There are currently 11 parking spaces in this area. All parking spaces would be removed in this option to accommodate the cycle lanes.
  • The existing bus stops will be retained within Greerton Village.
  • The existing signalised crossing could be retained or relocated.

Greerton – Cornwall Street to Chadwick Road option 2 (569kb pdf)

Option 3: Four lanes / retain roundabouts

  • Four traffic lanes – two in each direction - retaining the existing roundabouts and trees at Cornwall Street (teardrop style) and Chadwick Road intersections.
  • The existing signalised crossing would be relocated north by 50m.
  • The existing bus stops will be retained within Greerton Village.
  • There are currently 11 parking spaces in this area. None would be removed in this option if it went ahead.
  • Cycle facilities are not confirmed for this option yet.

Greerton – Cornwall Street to Chadwick Road option 3 (519kb pdf)

Option 4: Four lanes / roundabout and signals

  • Four traffic lanes – two in each direction - retaining the existing roundabout at Cornwall Street (teardrop style) and signalising Chadwick Road intersection.
  • The existing signalised crossing would be relocated to the Chadwick Road intersection.
  • The existing bus stops will be retained within Greerton Village.
  • There are currently 11 parking spaces in this area. None would be removed in this option if it went ahead.
  • Cycle facilities are not confirmed for this option yet.

Greerton – Cornwall Street to Chadwick Road option 4 (543kb pdf)

Maarawaewae/Racecourse – Chadwick Road to Maleme Street

Key features in the preferred design for Maarawaewae/Racecourse – Chadwick Road to Maleme Street include:

  • Providing four traffic lanes, two in each direction, with full turning lanes at signalised intersections. Centre medians will be removed to allow the change from two lanes to four lanes, meaning turning movements will be in-lane.
  • Outside lanes are proposed to be High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes catering for two passengers (T2) or three passengers (T3) or more, including buses and carpooling vehicles, motorcycles, scooters and people cycling. If these HOV lanes were initially to be used in peak time only, they would be used for parking outside of peak hours. There are currently 48 parking spaces in this area, of which 36 could be removed if the changes go ahead. In future, these lanes could become full-time HOV lanes.
  • Separated one-way on-road cycleway on the eastern side with a section of shared path for walking and cycling between Pooles Road and south of the Tauranga Racecourse entrance.
  • Shared path for walking and cycling on western side from Tauranga Racecourse entrance to Maleme Street.
  • Raised passenger landing platforms to make it safer to get on and off buses where bus stops and cycleways overlap.
  • Potential new signalised pedestrian crossing outside Greerton Village Court shops, replacing the existing zebra crossing if the Chadwick Road intersection is not signalised.
  • New signalised intersection at Tauranga Racecourse entrance and Pooles Road intersection.
  • New signalised intersection at Maleme Street.
  • New signalised crossing outside Greenpark School.
  • Potential left-in left-out only access to Cameron Road from Argyll Road, Maitland Street and Oban Road.

Maarawaewae/Racecourse – Chadwick Road to Maleme Street (1.27mb pdf)

Why are we upgrading the road?

Over the next 30 years, it is anticipated that more than 32,000 people will be living on the Te Papa peninsula and there will be a need for about 5800 new homes. That means we need to start work now to develop the area into a place where more people can live, learn, work and play.

The upgrade is intended to cater for this increasing population growth and will open the opportunity for extensive development in the western area of the city, linking people from the west to the city centre and beyond, contributing to Tauranga’s economic growth and prosperity.

We will also be continuing to upgrade our vital waters infrastructure along the corridor, building on the upgrades carried out as part of the Stage 1 project.

What area are we looking at?

The area for this work includes Cameron Road from 17th Avenue near Tauranga Hospital to Maleme Street near Tauranga Racecourse.

Next steps

Community engagement on the concept design is underway from 20 April to 15 May 2026. We will use the feedback to help inform the final design and report back to the City Future Committee before the project moves into detailed design planning.

Frequently asked questions

Tauranga is growing fast. Over the next 30 years, it is anticipated that more than 32,000 people will be living on the Te Papa peninsula. We also know that the wider Western Bay of Plenty is planning for an extra 200,000 people over the next 30-50 years.

That means we need to start work now to transform the area into a place where more people can live, work and play.

Existing congestion, ageing infrastructure and a city built on peninsulas means we need to do things differently to prepare for change. If we do nothing, road congestion is set to stay – and worsen.

Cameron Road is one of our city’s main arteries, connecting people in Tauranga’s southern suburbs to the city centre. It is an important through route and a destination for many with schools, businesses and the hospital located along it. As our city continues to grow, this key route will become even more important. This is why we need to make changes now.

This project will also open the opportunity for extensive development in the western area of the city, linking people from the west to the city centre and beyond, contributing to Tauranga’s economic growth and prosperity.

We’re working with our regional and central Government partners, local residential and business communities and tangata whenua to ensure we get it right. The future starts now, but it’s going to take time.

We started in 2022 by investigating a wide range of different solutions that aimed to provide more travel options to the places people want to go, however they choose to get there - on foot, bike, scooter, catching a bus or driving.

We worked with local hapū and talked to community organisations, residents, schools and businesses to get an understanding of the things that were important to them. We took the things people told us they loved, wished, and wondered for the future of Cameron Road to develop a preferred option with a focus on specific outcomes that could improve Cameron Road for those that live, study, work and travel through here.

A business case was developed for the project, for which the recommended option was not endorsed for New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) co-funding in mid-2024. Anticipated NZTA co-funding for the project was not prioritised in the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).

In February 2025, Council’s City Future Committee resolved to seek further options to continue the project with budgeted funding from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF) central government grant, Infrastructure Finance and Funding (IFF) and Development Contributions.

Council wanted value for money options which prioritise enabling housing intensity and support transport network efficiency.

A unanimous decision was made by Council at a meeting on 26 August 2025 to commit to the delivery of a revised value for money option.

Community engagement on the concept design is underway from 20 April to 15 May 2026. We will use the feedback to help inform the final design and report back to the City Future Committee before the project moves into detailed design planning.

The upgrade to the section of Cameron Road between Harington Street and 17th Avenue (Stage 1), had a different focus from the section between 17th Avenue and Maleme Street (Stage 2).

As Stages 1 and 2 are within the same road corridor, there will naturally be some consistency and connectivity between the two stages. However, there are different communities, and land use within Stage 2 that need to be recognised through the proposed upgrade For example, Greerton Village is different from the area around Tauranga Hospital. While there may be some similarities in parts, Stage 2 will not be a replica of the style of upgrades constructed for Stage 1.

In some areas parking will be reduced or available at specific times only to fit all the ways that people travel along Cameron Road into the available space.

There are 342 on street parks in the area, of which up to 66 could be removed permanently.

  • Tauranga South – 17th Avenue to Twentysecond Avenue: 105 parking spaces, none proposed to be removed.
  • Pukehinahina/Gate Pā – Twentysecond Avenue to Church Street: 50 parking spaces, 13 could be removed.
  • Pukehinahina/Gate Pā – Twentysecond Avenue to Church Street: 128 parking spaces, six could be removed.
  • Greerton – Cornwall Street to Chadwick Road: 11 parking spaces, only one of the four options proposes removing these.
  • Maarawaewae/Racecourse – Chadwick Road to Maleme Street: 48 parking spaces in this area, 36 could be removed.

It is a balance and the team look to avoid taking away parking where possible or minimise the impact of taking parking out. A Parking Management Plan is an important part of the planning for Stage 2, which looks at a range of ways to better manage the parking available for all users.

Once the upgrade is completed, the changes should bring benefits to local businesses. There will be more people in the area bringing more opportunities, more customers, and more business.

We acknowledge that construction is disruptive for businesses and customers. We will work closely with businesses to understand their concerns and minimise impacts as much as possible.

We will be looking to have construction complete by 2030 as part of funding agreements.

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes are designed to move more people, more efficiently, at busy times of the day.

On Cameron Road, the outside lanes are proposed to operate as HOV lanes during peak periods. Outside of peak times, these lanes can be used for on street parking, where parking is provided.

In the future, these lanes could become full time HOV lanes if traffic demand increases.

During peak times, HOV lanes can be used by:

  • Vehicles with two or more people (T2)
  • Vehicles with three or more people (T3)
  • Buses and public transport
  • Motorbikes and scooters
  • People cycling

Key dates

  • Work commences to prepare Business Case

    Early 2022
  • Engagement with partners, mana whenua, stakeholders and the local community

    April 2022 to April 2023
  • Development and assessment of options

    April 2022 to May 2023
  • Engagement with the community on preferred option / early design

    18 October - 12 November 2023
  • Business case approved by Commissioners

    December 2023
  • Business case heard by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA)

    June 2024
  • Council supports development of revised business case for consideration in early 2025

    August 2024
  • City Future Committee asks for value for money options to continue with project without NZTA funding

    February 2025
  • Council commits to deliver a revised value for money option

    August 2025
  • IAF funding approved

    February 2026
  • Community feedback sought on new concept design following funding decision

    20 April to 15 May 2026
  • Report back to City Future Committee

    Mid 2026
  • Detailed design

    Late 2026-2027
  • Construction

    2028-2030

Who's listening

Major Projects Infrastructure Team 
Tauranga City Council

cameronroadupgrade@tauranga.govt.nz
07 577 7000

Neighbourhoods

Find out what other projects are happening in Tauriko and Te Papa.

Tauriko projects

Te Papa projects

 

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